Marysville - a phoenix from the ashes

The town of Marysville, gateway to the Alpine attractions and the Lake Mountain snow region, is 95 km NE of Melbourne.

Marysville’s popular Gallipoli Park precinct has been officially re-opened to the public for the first time since the devastating Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

On April 9, 2011, Deputy Premier and Minister for Bushfire Response Peter Ryan joined the newly-appointed Governor of Victoria, the Hon Alex Chernov AO QC, to officially open the $1.8 million park redevelopment which includes a state-of-the-art children’s playground and reflective garden.

Mr Ryan said it was fantastic to see the community come together to celebrate such an important milestone in the rebuilding of Marysville.

“Gallipoli Park suffered significant damage in the 2009 bushfires, including the loss of the town’s kindergarten,” Mr Ryan said.

“The restoration of the park has been a community effort, led by the local council with input and provision of resources from businesses, groups and individuals.

“The outcome is truly inspirational, striking a thoughtful balance between a place of quiet reflection and a place representing new life in the town,” Mr Ryan said.

The park restoration comprises three main components – the Kin Playspace, Reflective Garden and the New Life Sculpture.

“The playspace is state-of-the-art and has a range of equipment including an elevated sandpit, slides, roundabout, rope climbing net, flying foxes and swings," Mr Ryan said.

“The Reflective Garden provides a main entry into Gallipoli Park and features a gazebo and ‘garden rooms’, and the New Life Sculpture, designed and produced by local artist Bruno Torfs, is a permanent symbol of new life in community.”

Stage one of the Gallipoli Park restoration was funded by the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund and a range of private donors. Further restorative works will continue as part of stage two including new paths, landscaping, additional signage and new park furniture.

For more information about works in the Marysville and Triangle region visit the Marysville Rebuilding Advisory Centre and Community Facility or go to www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.au

I visited Marysville on Sunday June 26, 2011 - these pictures portray my impressions of the town's reconstruction.

Sadly, most of the town's historical buildings were destroyed in the fires and the new town embodies some surviving features.

The town centre is situated along the shady avenue of Murchison Street which has been landscaped to reflect the town's natural environment. Street gutters along one side of the road have been replaced by a meandering rocky stream lined with native grasses featuring bridges leading to shop doorways.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Exploring Tonimbuk - Bunyip State Park

These pix were taken on June 20, 2011 in the Bunyip State Park and adjacent forest, 65 km east of Melbourne.

They show the scenery and environment on a circuit route which took me from the Prince's Freeway through Tynong North, then to the tiny settlement of Tonimbuk and back to the Freeway.

The rusting remains of an old charcoal kiln were inspected off Tonimbuk Rd, and the nearby disused Aqueduct was explored.

This open aqueduct once carried water into Gippsland farms fom the Bunyip Weir, high up on the slopes of the Blue Range, but access is prohibited, being controlled by Melbourne Water.

There were good views of the various Ranges which comprise the Bunyip State Park.

There was a stop at the bridge where the Diamond Creek crosses the Tonimbuk Rd.

Bunyips are very shy creatures, but one was seen approaching the Tonimbuk Rd!

See al of the Photos of this adventure!

Yarra Glen - Yarra Flats Billabongs

These pix were taken on June 16 2011, at the Yarra Flats Billabongs Reserve, Yarra Glen, 40 km east of Melbourne.

The Reserve was created when VicRoads acquired part of a grazing property in 1998 for the purpose of building a new bridge and the realignment of Melba Highway at Yarra Glen. In 2002 it was declared a Crown Land Reserve of Natural Interest and the Shire of Yarra Ranges was appointed as Committee of Management.

The reserve contains two sections of natural billabong (old courses of the Yarra River) joined by an excavated water hole created as part of the Highway realignment works.

An informal group of local residents had been meeting since 1999 to discuss options for development of the site, and to lobby politicians to ensure that it remained in public ownership. The Friends group was formed from this informal group in 2002 and is represented on the Committee of Management.

A major aim of the group is to re-establish the natural vegetation of the Yarra River flood plain and thereby enhance the wildlife habitat values of the reserve. Other aims include education about the values of ephemeral wetlands and highlighting the Aboriginal and European heritage values of the site.

The Reserve is reached at a small car park off the Yarra Glen Rd. A 2 km walking track and Observation Platform allows visitors to appreciate and enjoy the precinct - interpretative signs describe various features of the fauna, flora, and geography,

An important feature of the Reserve is the Commemorative Memorial Plaque, describing the "Battle of Yering" which took place in 1890.

The Plaque was commissioned in January 2004.

In February 2009, much of the reserve was destroyed by bushfires and there has been extensive regrowth and replanting.

Images dated 2004, 2007 and 2009 are acknowledged to

http://yarraflatsbillabongs.friends.melbournewater.com.au/default.asp

Further information and a Historical Gallery is at the above website.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Freerman's Mill Walking Track - Bunyip State Park

These pix were taken on June 14 2011 in the North Labertouche area, central Gippsland, 100 km east of Melbourne.

My journey started at the Monash Freeway opposite the turnoff to Bunyip, then along the Labertouche North Rd to the Bunyip River Road.

Leaving the car under the high-voltage power lines I joined the Freeman's Mill Walking Track, passing through the gate and on the newly constructed concrete bridge over the Bunyip River.

I followed the Track for about 1 km then returned.

The site of the old Mill is about 6 km further on at the disused Bunyip Weir, deep in the forest, on the slopes of the Bunyip Ridge.

Freemans Mill was established in 1911 and continued until it and the surrounding forest were destroyed by fires that swept through the area in 1926. The settlement was said to have included six four roomed houses, a similar number of huts, a store, boarding house, a school and an eight roomed cottage occupied by the Freeman family.

A timber tramway linked the Mill with the Bunyip River.

After the destruction of the mill the then State Rivers and Water Supply Commission constructed a weir at the site together with a system of open aqueducts and piped siphons to divert water from the Bunyip River to the Lysterfield Reservoir, then being built to serve the Mornington Peninsula.

The Aqueduct Track runs beside the aqueduct and provides pleasant walking on an even gradient through the regenerating forest back to the starting point at the Bunyip River.

The new concrete bridge over the Bunyip River was completed in 2010, replacing a wooden structure which was destroyed in the bushfires of 2009.

These fires also ravaged the forest around the mill area, and there has been extensive regrowth.

It had been proposed that a new long walking route be constructed from the Bunyip Weir north through the Yarra State Forest to the Seven Acre Rock reserve near Powelltown, but the 2009 fires virtually destroyed this area, on the Bunyip Ridge.

Rankin's Track - Bunyip State Park - old sandpits

Gate to Rankin's Track

Former sandpits

Blue Range

Black Snake Creek Rd - creek crossing

These pix were taken on Saturday June 4 2011 in the Bunyip State Park, 65 km east of Melbourne.

They show the scenery and environment along Black Sbake Creek Rd and Rankin's Track.

Many old sandpits are visible, which were used for gravel extraxction many years ago.

Rankin's Track leads off Black Snake Creek Rd, near Ash Landing Rd, and ascends to the ridge line on Black Snake Range.

Black Snake Creek Road is popular with trail bike riders, but care is needed in negotiating some rough sections, creek crossings, and potholes.

There are good views north to the Blue Range, through regrowth forest. The area was heavily logged in former years, and the remains of old sawmills are hidden in the bush.

See all of the Photos of this trip.